Submission

Yesterday, I speculated about the future of Europe in a post called “Can Europe Turn the Corner?” In doing so, I referred to a piece in the February issue of Commentary (not yet available online) by Arthur Waldron. The portions of Waldron’s piece on which I relied dealt with the economic situation in Europe. But Waldron also suggested that Europe seemed to be turning the corner in its attitude towards combating terrorism. The key event, Waldron thought, was the murder of Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh by a Dutch Muslim as retribution for his film Submission about the abuse of women under Islam. As I read Waldron’s argument, it occurred to me that the Europeans were just as likely, Spanish style, to respond to van Gogh’s murder by curtailing works of art offensive to Muslims as by becoming more resolute. But what I do I know?
Today, the same day on which millions of Iraqis disregarded security concerns and went to the polls, the BBC reported that Submission has been pulled from the Rotterdam film festival due to security concerns.